Modern Warfare 3 Joins Game Pass Today: What You Need to Know

Starting today, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will be available on Microsoft's Game Pass service, including PC Game Pass. This marks the second major Activision Blizzard game to join the service following Diablo 4 earlier this year. Players can expect the full game, featuring the single-player campaign, multiplayer mode, and the cooperative PvE zombies mode, which adopts the extraction shooter style for Modern Warfare 3.

While it was previously confirmed that this year's Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 would be available on Game Pass upon release, the inclusion of Modern Warfare 3 was only announced on the Xbox website earlier today.

Game Pass Price Hike and Restructuring

Game Pass has been making headlines this month, not only for new game additions but also due to a $2 price increase for the PC version starting in September. Additionally, changes to the console version's structure have sparked controversy, with many criticising it as a downgrade. The American Federal Trade Commission quickly labelled the restructuring as a "degraded version of the same service for more money," prompting Microsoft to respond with a defence that many found unconvincing.

Modern Warfare 3's Mixed Reception

It's not entirely surprising that Modern Warfare 3 was added to Game Pass with little fanfare, considering its lukewarm reception. In a 43% review by PC Gamer, Morgan Park described it as an "unessential" game that failed to justify its existence or shake off the impression of being hastily developed.

"It's plain to see that this disjointed, vaporous vision of Modern Warfare 3 was not the product of years of meticulous planning. It was a pivot driven by tradition and the hubris of executives puppeteering the fleet of tireless Call of Duty creators who collaborate to do the impossible every year," Park remarked.

Since its release, Modern Warfare 3 has struggled to shed the perception of being a filler entry in the series, primarily serving to maintain the franchise's relentless cycle of brand tie-ins. These have included crossovers with King Kong, Godzilla, Nicki Minaj, and Warhammer 40,000, followed by Cheech and Chong and another Godzilla event.

Should You Play It?

Despite its flaws, if you already have Game Pass and some spare time, Modern Warfare 3's campaign still offers a lavish production that can be enjoyable, even if it's not up to the series' usual standards.